Category: Hoi An

My Son Sanctuary

[EN/PL] Long before our honeymoon started, we knew that we want to visit the My Son Sanctuary in the Central Vietnam. During our stay in Hoi An, we had managed to book a trip there, and we weren’t disappointed. We’d also like to tell you that we’re not huge fans of guided tours, as we tend to enjoy freedom during sightseeing and we both had bad previous experiences with such trips. Fortunately, convinced by our host in Hoi An, we signed on for a guided tour – it was very educating and really fun. I guess our guide was a comedian in his previous life :).

Welcome to My Son!

History and facts on My Son Sanctuary

My Son is the Cham people holy city, located in Central Vietnam, not so far from Hoi An. If you are wondering what is it like, we could explain it to you with words of our Vietnamese guide: „Have you heard of Ankgor Wat? My Son is same, but smaller. Same, but different. Same-same, but different”. My Son Sanctuary was built and further developed for a thousand years, between 4th and 14th century A.D. Before it’s discovery in the beginning of 20th century, My Son remained hidden for centuries, as after the demise of Champa it was overrun by jungle and forgotten.

French archaeologists discovered over 70 structures, most of them intact. As My Son was being uncovered, it became obvious that it was built only for religious purposes – no one was living there permanently. All the artifacts and structures found indicated, that this place was used only for important religious and state ceremonies, such as a burial of a king.

What’s even more interesting, scientists remain puzzled about the building technique used by the Cham, as there is no evidence of mortar or cement used to keep the bricks together. Two leading theories are that either a tree resin was used to connect the bricks, or that they were glued together with mortar made from the same clay the bricks were made of.

Unfortunately, the structures suffered greatly from American bombings during the Vietnam war – bomb craters can be seen everywhere around the site. Why was it bombed, you may wonder – and this question was asked by one of other tourists from our group. Our guide replied: Because Americans are CRAZY! Later on he clarified, that in fact it’s not Americans fault – during the war Viet Cong was hiding in there, so the US had no choice but to bomb the site.

My Son Sanctuary is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999, and is carefully studied and restored by scientists from Vietnam and from all over the world.

Tour to My Son

We left Hoi An at 7.30 in the morning and about two and a half hour ride we’ve arrived to My Son. We were given 20 minutes to stretch our legs a little, drink some coffee and use the toilet, and then we were handed our entry tickets. Our guide informed us, that we’re going to spend there two hours, which slighlty disappointed us, as we’re the type of tourists that like to see every little detail.

It was the first really hot day we had in Vietnam, and as we found out later – it wasn’t the best choice for a trip into the jungle. With 36 C temperature and over 90% humidity and no single cloud on the sky, we were sorry that we haven’t bought hats before going to My Son.

Just after entering the site, an electric cart took us deeper into the jungle. The cart stopped, reaching entrance to actual My Son site – later on we had to walk. Amazed with the wild nature around us and astonished by the beautiful mountains sorrounding the valley, we walked towards the first group of monuments. Spider webs, that could be seen very often, reminded us that despite most of the trees in the vicinity of this ancient sanctuary were cut down, we’re still in the jungle.

Those monuments, both those intact and those partially destroyed by the bombing during the Vietnam War, are the proof that the Champa civilization was truly advanced – all are architectural masterpieces, and the techniques used by the builders required significant engineering knowledge. Statues of Hindu deities all around this compound of temples, shrines and tombs are beautiful, yet… headless – as the French archaeologists decapitated all of the statues, to study them and later display them in Paris. Some of them are a part of a permanent exhibition in Louvre, but most of them are stored and hidden from the sight of the tourists. The Vietnamese asked the French to return the heads taken from My Son, which is now recognized as UNESCO World Heritage site. According to our guide, the French gave the most diplomatic and kind answer: „NO”.

After two hours of walk and sightseeing, we were burnt by the sun, partially dehydrated (1,5 litre of water per person wasn’t enough…), bitten by mosquitoes and generally tired. But it was another highlight of our honeymoon in Vietnam and we’d definetely visit this place again. It’s really a must-see, if you’re in Central Vietnam. We were also lucky about the guide that was assigned to our trip. As he introduced himself: „I speak English very good, I’m the best guide in Vietnam!”, he wasn’t far from truth.

Our trip to My Son concluded with a two hour boat cruise that took us back to Hoi An. We had a small lunch on the boat which made us really happy, with strange looks from other passangers. We ate an extra portion (not everyone likes rice with steamed vegetables – for us it was delicious!). Happy and full, we could enjoy the trip back to Hoi An and enjoy the views. That was a great day.

Photobombed!

General information and tips on visiting My Son

Our tour, which included bus ride to My Son, a guide and a boat back to Hoi An costed us 280.000 VND (12 USD) per person

Entry tickets to My Son cost 150.000 VND (6,5 USD)

It’s safe as long as you don’t leave the path

Don’t forget DEET – there are lot of mosquitos

Bring at least 1,5 l of water per person

There’s a shop and a cafe on site, so you can also grab something to drink or eat

[EN/PL] Despite our first not so good impression of Hoi An, we had a wonderful time there. There’s really a lot of things to see, do and eat there :). It’s definetely a unique place, and whether you’re backpacking, travelling with your family or into luxurious resorts – it’s really a must see if you ever visit Central Vietnam.

The City of Tailors

The Ancient Town’s streets are really busy in high season, especially in the evenings. When we went there the next morning after checking in to our homestay, it looked and felt much different than during our first walk. We took our time exploring more and less popular streets and alleys. If you ever visit Hoi An’s Ancient Town, the first thing you are probably going to notice is a lot of tailor shops. Really a lot – like tens of them, on every single street.

There’s plenty of tailor shops in Hoi An – often three or four right next to eachother // W Hoi An jest mnóstwo zakładów krawieckich – często trzy lub cztery, jeden obok drugiego.

As Hoi An is commonly known as the City of Lanterns, the other nickname of this town is: The City of Tailors. Due to traditions cultivated for generations, this is probably the best place to get a tailor-made piece of garment in Vietnam. Most of the shops are used to really tight schedules of many tourists, thus they guarantee to deliver in 24 hours. Many of them are ready to make a tailored two piece suits for as low price as 150 USD, but don’t be fooled – in the end, you always get what you pay for. There’s no such thing as a cheap suit, perfectly made in 24 hours.

Cheap suit in Hoi An?

Most of the cheaper places (if not all) can’t really control the quality of the final product, as – according to what we’ve learnt – they outsource to one of a couple factories that work 24/7 to meet the demand on „cheap, highest quality and quickly” made suits or dresses. If you really want gament of the highest quality, it won’t come cheap nor in 24 hours, as experienced tailors need at least two fittings to make sure your dress or suit really suits you.

Visit to the tailor shop – BeBe Tailor

We’ve decided to trust our host, Tri and as advised by him, go to BeBe Tailor to place our orders. Two lovely ladies presented us with the choice of cloth, helped us to browse their vast catalogues based on a short interview on our expectations. Then we discussed details, like if the jacket’s sleeve buttons should be functional or what kind of zip should be used with the dress. Later we were both precisly measured, and finally, we talked about our schedule and when we’ll be available for fitting. Afterwards we were presented with the final price for everything we had ordered and we paid half of the sum upfront.

When we met with the tailors and our fitter two days later (Moon was responsible for the dresses, Anna for the suit and shirts, Anh was our fitter), we were both surprised with the amount of adjustments that were necessary to assure the highest quality of our garments. Anh is really talented, and we didn’t have to say a word – she found all the tiny flaws, explained them to us, and always asked if we agree with her opinion.

We were told that the tailors will need about 40 minutes to make the first adjustments, so we said that we’ll go for a walk to grab some Banh Mi from Madame Phuong (her famous Banh Mi restaurant is really close to BeBe). Anh looked at us, both already sunburnt (it was 35 C outside!) and told us to just sit and relax. Not more than 10 minutes later, one of the assistants handed us two delicious Madame Phoung’s Banh Mi :). It was so nice of them!

Forty minutes later we had a next fitting, with the adjustments already made by Moon and Anna. We were really satisfied – the clothes looked so much better! But Anh wasn’t, and she proposed some more little changes. As on the next day we were going to the Ly Son Island, we made an appointment for Sunday afternoon, as we were going to leave Hoi An on Monday.

After our final fitting an adjustments made on Sunday, everything that we had ordered was delivered to our homestay. It wasn’t cheap, it wasn’t made quickly, but the quality is exceptional and I’m pretty sure we would pay at least four times this price if we were ordering these clothes in Poland.

To conclude, we are happy new owners of the following made-to-measure clothes:

two cotton and silk dresses

two cotton shirts

a two piece cashmere suit

I guess it would be expected to attach some pictures of the final products, but as we move and travel a lot, we don’t have these photos! But if you’d like us to dress up, I guess we can do that and do some selfie-stick photoshoot – just let us know in the comments section.

General information and guide how to get a bespoke suit or dress in Hoi An:

Firstly, you need to know what you want. Spend some time browsing the Internet, look for some pictures, maybe ask your friends for advice. You should go to the tailor with a general idea of what kind of garment you want, is it going to be formal or casual, what cloth should it be made of, what style are you interested in.

Don’t be cheap – it’s better to order one, good quality dress for 75 USD, than to order three low quality dresses 25 USD each.

Be prepared for at least two fittings – you won’t get anything really tailored for you in 24 hours. It’s best to place your order on the first day, so you’ll have time to visit the tailor at least two more times during your stay in Hoi An.

If you don’t like something or if you feel something isn’t right during the fittings – tell it to the fitter.

Respect expert opinions of fitters and tailors – they make hundreds bespoke suits and dresses a year, so they know they trade.

Price for a good quality two piece suit should be 250-350 USD, depending on the cloth you choose. Price for a good dress is about 75-175 USD, also depending on the cloth and amount of work that needs to be done.

I guess it would be expected to attach some pictures of the final products, but as we move and travel a lot, we don’t have these photos! But if you’d like us to dress up, I guess we can do that and do some selfie-stick photoshoot – just let us know in the comments section.

Like this:

From Hanoi to Hoi An

[EN/PL] On Sunday afternoon we took a plane from Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport heading to Da Nang, Central Vietnam with Vietnam Airlines. Last week we’ve made an attempt to buy plane tickets on our own, but as planes to Da Nang take off at least once per hour, we had a lot of trouble with looking for affordable tickets on days that we were interested in. With help of the hotel staff in Hanoi we’ve managed to buy tickets at a real good price – 45 USD per person (luggage included).

After one hour of flight we’ve reached Da Nang. Right behind the exit from the arrivals hall, a driver sent by our homestay in Hoi An has been waiting. Minutes later we were on our way to the City of Lanterns, which is apx. 40 km southeast of Da Nang. Moments after passing the Marble Mountains, out driver’s asked us if we wanted to stop by one of the many shops offering crafts, mainly made of marble and amethyst. As we had a plan to buy a little happy Buddhha sculpture for our home in Warsaw, we agreed.

Please notice: in Vietnam usually if somebody recommends you a specific store, it means they’ll get a commission for bringing a customer. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not bad, as long as you actually like the recommended place and wares it sells or services it offers. It’s just good to be aware of the fact.

Thirty minutes later we’ve arrived at our homestay, recommeded to us by our host in Hanoi. Located in an excellent location, just by the night market, not more than 10 minutes walk from the Ancient Town. Right after we had moved in to our room at Moon’s Homestay, we went for our first evening walk around Hoi An.’s Ancient Town.

First impressions of Hoi An Ancient Town

The first thing that struck us, that it was flooded by tourists from all over the world. Before visiting Hoi An we’ve been thinking that Hanoi ‘s Old Quarter is full of travellers. We’ve been wrong. Compared to Hoi An, the capital’s of Vietnam Old Town is calm and spacious. In Hoi An you can see all types of tourists – beginning with backpackers, who choose to stay in less expensive homestays pretty far from the Ancient Town, through famillies, who value comfort and safety, to those who prefer luxurious resorts. All sorts of people, all with different approach to travelling but with one in common – being in awe of the magical atmosphere, architecture and wonderful view on the river, that the Ancient Town offers. Please note, that it’s UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.

Hoi An Ancient Town by night / Stare Miasto Hoi An nocą

To enter the Ancient Town you need to buy a ticket for a fairly reasonable price – 120.000 VND (5 USD). The ticket entitles you to enter up to 5 places Hoi An’s Ancient Town has to offer – like the famous Japanese Bridge, the museums and temples. Remember, that if you use up all 5 coupons, you need to buy another ticket to be allowed into the Ancient Town (even if you’re not going to visit the places mentioned above).

The Famous Bahn Mi

As it was pretty late already, we’ve decided to just walk around a bit, admiring the architecture, beautiful silk lanterns hanging over streets and alleys. What’s also great, a big part of the Ancient Town is a pedestrian zone, so you don’t need to dodge motorbikes. We’ve been heading to a Banh My (a Vietnamese baguette sandwich) place, recommended by one of the bloggers we follow – She who travels. Thanks to our host in Hoi An – Tris, we’ve managed to find the famous Madame Phuong Bahn Mi restaurant without any trouble.

We had spotted it from distance, as there was a queue of travellers long enough to reach the street, waiting in line for their sandwiches. Not more than 10 minutes later, we gnawed on our sandwiches. Heaven in our mouths. It was absolutely delicious. So good, that encouraged by my other half I ordered another one, seconds after I had finished the first one. I guess Anthony Bourdain was right about this place, which was featured in his No Reservations show. And the price? I couldn’t believe it – 25.000 VND (1 USD), for the best street food we’ve had in our lives so far.

D-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s

The river is there

After that meal, we’d stopped for a moment at the Central Market to buy some spice to take home. With some haggling involved, we got three bags of pepper (green, white, black) for 80.000 VND total (3,5 USD). After a short walk, full of admiration for the silk lanterns, we finally sat at one of the numerous restaurants by the river, which tempt tourists with “Happy Hour” – buy one beer, get one free.

The Vietnamese guy, who welcomed us to his family restaurant was really funny and helpful. We got there just before 8 PM, and after we had our first drinks we’d realised that happy hours had ended right after we placed our first order. About the funny part: when one of us asked him for directions for the toilet, he pointed behind us with a poker face: “No toilet. River is right there”. Five seconds of awkward silence later, they both had laughed and he gave the directions for the actual toilet :).

The City of Lanterns – Miasto Lampionów

No, thank you

So we sit there, tasting the local beer and waiting for some spring rolls we had ordered, when a street vendor approached our table, offering us postcards she sells. We say: no, thank you. Five minutes later another one comes, offering exactly the same postcards. We say no. And it goes like this – every 5-15 minutes, someone approaches us and wants us to buy their stuff. Postacards, snacks, doughnuts, newspapers, toys and other overpriced items. It’s okay if someone approaches you once in a while, but it’s really irritating if you need to say “NO, thank you” every 15 minutes of your time in the Ancient Town. And it’s even worse, when those vendors try to push you to buy their stuff anyway with texts like “Why not?”, “Buy for family”, “Very cheap, very cheap”. The same goes with restaurants – you won’t pass by a restaurant without being asked to come in and eat or drink – and with boats (5 USD for a 5 minute “trip” and a paper lantern you can place on water for “good luck”).

It’s the way people make money here – and it looks like tourists coming to Hoi An actually buy a lot of these stuff and services. And it’s fine, as long as everyone’s happy.

Motorbike Taxi

After we had finished our beer and after be had blown off seven more irritating vendors, we were ready to pay the bill. The Vietnamese guy from the restaurant surprised us with the asked amount – we were sure that we’ll have to pay full price for all drinks we had, but he said “I invite you happy hours, so all is happy hours for you” – half of the drinks were free. We’d left a tip, and headed back to our homestay. Moments later we’ve heard offers from “motorbike taxis” to take us back to our homestay, but as advised by our host – we both said “No, thank you” again. Here’s a useful tip: never, ever take a motorbike taxi, unless it’s a driver recommended to you by someone you trust. These “motorbike taxis” are there to drive you to a dark alley and rob you of your money and valueables. I don’t think we would ever use a moto-taxi, as we really like long walks, yet still we’re very thankful to Tris for warning us. I thought that we’re lucky to have a host like this, when I had read this blog entry, especially the part about Hoi An at Tina in Thailand blog – it’s really worth reading.

We got safely to our homestay and we called it a night.

General information and tips – “How to Hoi An”

The entry ticket to the Ancient Town costs 120.000 VND (5 USD) – it grants you entry to the Ancient Town and to 5 ticketed sites like museums etc. It’s valid as long as it has at least one coupon left. You can enter the Ancient Town multiples times during your stay in Hoi An.

Never take an offer from so called “motorbike taxis” – they will try mug you!

When approached by street vendors, be firm but polite – “No, thank you” is usually enough for them to leave you alone

Watch out for pickpockets and thieves – wear your backpack on both straps, keep your valuables in a safe place, leave your passports at the hotel you’re staying

Always try to haggle when buying stuff – you can easily get 10% off any price given in Hoi An, up to 30% if you’re good. Also, don’t buy at the first place you enter – do some reconaissance on the prices around.